Not many shoe stores display their merchandise as part of an art installation. But that's what Boulder's Installation Shoe Gallery has done for the last eight years -- and now its shoe artists have a brand new space to do it in.

These artistic installations, the namesake of the store, vary on a monthly basis so the space "could always change," according to co-owner Raul Pinto.

The concept came from a thought that Pinto and co-owner JG Mazzota had about whether the shoes they sold should be part of a "periodic display," Pinto said. Pinto also wanted to acknowledge the artists in a snow- and skateboarding culture that aren't known for what they do off the board.

"There are a lot of people who contribute to the (boarding lifestyle) outside of boarding," Pinto said. "With the installations, everyone can be a part of that lifestyle."

Because of this inclusive ideology, Installation's customer base has been growing since the store opened in 2005. Installation grew into a destination for customers from Denver and Longmont at its former location on Broadway just off the Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder. However, because of limited parking and shoppers who were on Pearl to eat rather than shop, Mazzota felt that Installation wasn't reaching the right audience.

"If we're going to be a destination, we have to be more accessible." Mazzota said.

Another contributing factor for both Mazzota and Pinto was the feeling that they got from the downtown atmosphere. Mazzota cited the lack of "complementary stores" near the old location, while Pinto said high rent also was a factor.

"Downtown turned into a homogenized version of a mall rather than Pearl Street," Pinto said. "It just made more sense to be part of the community rather than downtown."

This prompted the store's move to 2835 Pearl St.

Mazzota said that the move was "pretty painless," especially because Installation only lost one business day in the transition. The store re-opened March 1. Installation hosted a re-opening party two weeks later, which featured giveaways of limited-edition shoes on a first-come, first-served basis.

"(That) was our biggest day ever, sales-wise," Mazzota said. "We have a huge following base, and it was a good test to see who is following us."

The extra space in the parking lot outside was a plus for Pinto. He said that when Tony Hawk came to the store for an event before the move, there was nowhere near Installation to park Hawk's 40-foot-long RV. Future Installation events won't have this problem.

"Having more space to do community events is key," Pinto said.

Mazzota and Pinto are working to move their board shop, Satellite, next door to the new Installation storefront. Satellite is currently located at 1538 28th St. Pinto said they are planning to open the new Satellite store May 25 for a Memorial Day weekend "super blow-out party sale."

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